Who plays David Falk in Air? Role and real-life inspiration explored

Fans can get insights into how Michael Jordan and his entourage, featuring agent David Falk and his parents, helped him with his business decisions in the movie "Air."

The Ben Affleck starrer brilliantly depicts how the deal came to fruition, leading Nike's rise from a struggling company compared to its rivals like Adidas and Converse to turning into a powerhouse after signing MJ. Chris Messina played the role of David Falk in "Air."

Messina received plenty of praise for the way he carried out Falk's role in the movie. His hilarious and over-the-top acting was a hit among viewers. Some even believe that he stole the show from all of his peers.

Messina's creative insults and dialogues were something that certainly stood out. The way he was able to vent his frustrations during certain scenes couldn't have been portrayed better.

Most of Messina's scenes were him negotiating with Nike over a phone call. Being the great actor he is, Messina did his homework, watching a bevy of movies, which featured similar scenes.

To understand David Falk's demeanor and mentality to portray his character, Chris Messina read his book called "The Bald Truth," watched his interviews and read what people had written about him. Messina also praised the script for the on-point description displaying Falk's essence as a negotiator and agent.

David Falk stayed adamant about helping Michael Jordan secure money and a revenue share on his shoe deal

Michael Jordan's mother, against his wish, forced the Chicago Bulls legend to meet with Nike. Jordan had his eyes set on Adidas, while Converse was also in his pursuit. Jordan's mother deserves plenty of credit for how things turned out eventually.

David Falk, as portrayed in "Air," wasn't that big a fan of Nike at first because of its struggles at the time, but he ensured MJ didn't have to settle for less by signing with a smaller company willing to offer him more in other ways.

Nike offered Jordan his own line of shoes and a $250,000 guaranteed deal in his rookie season. Meanwhile, Adidas had an offer for $500,000. Falk demanded Nike to match that, which it did. However, Nike made some cuts in the revenue percentage.

It seems like a bargain after Nike generated around $130 million in Jordan's shoe sales in his rookie season. It predicted it would make $3-4 million in the first three or four years.

However, nobody, including David Falk and Nike, thought the partnership would have such a quick turnaround. All parties got what they wanted out of the deal. Falk helped MJ become the first athlete to secure a revenue share, while the company got a star for its future.

Falk's aggressive negotiating tactics helped Jordan significantly in his off-court decisions, leading to the six-time NBA champion's billionaire status today.